When I got home, it was already dark.

After Yunxiang left, I did not leave. Instead, I turned around and walked back. I walked slowly along the river, and stepped into the water several times due to carelessness. By the end, the corners of my skirt were already wet.

I couldn't wring it out anymore, my shoes and socks were soaked, and dragging my cold ankles, I opened the door and went home.

The number of manpower in the yard seems to have increased a lot, and even the number of manpower protecting my home has obviously doubled.

Of course I knew what this arrangement meant, but I just smiled lightly in my heart.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw a solitary lamp like a bean on the table in the center of the room.

The candle flame began to sway with the wind that suddenly opened the door. The flickering candle flame reflected that handsome face. It seemed that even the expression on that face was a little obscure, making it hard for people to see.

Clear his emotions.

I stood at the door, stunned for a moment, and then said softly: "Are you still not asleep?"

Pei Yuanxiu held on to the table and seemed to want to stand up, but when I saw how hard he was struggling, I immediately went over and grabbed his arm: "Don't stand up, be careful of the wound."

He smiled, sat back, looked at me and said, "I'm waiting for you to come back."

"You should go to bed early."

I said this, but did not help him back to bed. Pei Yuanxiu did not seem to have any intention of going to sleep and rest, but sat back. I also sat across the table and poured myself a cup of warm tea.

Drinking it also made my cold body feel warmer.

When he raised his head, he was looking at me.

"Where have you been?"

"Go for a walk by the river."

"Been gone for so long?"

"Just take a walk."

"Just take a walk? I'm just afraid that if you leave, you'll end up in Yangzhou." He smiled as he spoke, and a smile line at the corner of his mouth added a lot of unspoken things to his faint smile.

Seeing his smile, I thought for a moment and then spoke.

"I have something to tell you."

"I have something to tell you."

The two people spoke at the same time. I was stunned for a moment and saw his eyes condense, but before I could react, I heard him say: "You speak first."

At this time, I was a little hesitant.

I spoke at the same time as him, but I didn't know what he was going to say. I even had some doubts about whether I should let him speak first.

At this moment, when the two of them were so close together, it was just an ordinary conversation, but it suddenly seemed to have turned into a gambling game, where they were betting on a lifetime of happiness and this great land.

I was in a daze for a while, and the candlelight in front of me seemed to be swaying with my uncertain thoughts. It seemed that the little sparkles in the river I saw today also reminded me of the times I walked back and forth by the river.

After wandering to the end, I finally made the decision.

No matter what his decision is, what I want to do will not change for others.

Thinking of this, I took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Can you give up Yangzhou?"

His eyes flickered with the candlelight.

He didn't seem to react, or maybe he hadn't thought of what to say. But in this moment of silence, I spoke again, word by word: "Then, I will cross the river with you."

"...!"

His eyes suddenly widened.

I looked at the shock in his eyes through the flickering candlelight, as calm as ever: "Okay?"

……

This time, there was silence for a long time.

I couldn't hear his breathing or his heartbeat. I could only hear the sound of wind blowing by my ears. After a while, I realized in a daze that it was not the sound of wind, but the sound of my own blood rushing.

Sound.

It turns out that my heartbeat was so intense that it seemed like it was about to burst out of my heart.

That kind of pain and depression made me feel a little uncomfortable, but no matter how uncomfortable I felt, my expression didn't change, and I didn't even have any disorder in my breathing. I just looked at him like this.

I have already made this bet!

I don't know how long it took, but I finally saw his pale lips trembling slightly and he spoke, but there was no sound for a while. It wasn't until he coughed lightly that I realized that his throat was a little broken.

"You said, you are willing to——"

"..."

"Aren't you - after -?"

I smiled faintly: "Did Mr. Yao tell you that I regret it?"

He was speechless for a moment, just looking at me, but his eyes were full of caution, as if he was worried that if his eyes were heavier, he would crush this moment to pieces.

"I do regret it, but regret does not mean that I will break my promise." I looked at him and said seriously: "Even if I am a woman, I still understand the truth that people cannot keep their faith. A promise can be made without words.

, I will not take it back easily."

He seemed to be unable to believe his ears, and looked at me and then his hands in confusion. After a while, he raised his head, looked at me expectantly, and said softly: "Are you really willing?"

Follow me?"

"Hmm."

When I heard this word, I clearly saw the uncontrollable joy in those eyes.

For a time, it seemed as if the winter night had turned into a warm spring.

Seeing him like this, I also smiled, but there was a trace of sourness in my smile that I didn't know why, whether it was for myself or for him.

After laughing, I said softly: "Yuan Xiu, tell me, if I really regret it, what will you do?"

"..."

"Will you make me regret it?"

"..."

He looked at me calmly for a long time, his eyes gentle, but he didn't say a word.

Under his gentle gaze, I felt a little clear in my heart.

In fact, even if I don't ask, I understand - as he said to me before, as long as I say "no", he will not do anything to me, but that night, he never let me say that "no"

” word.

And now, even if I really regret it, he will not let me change my path in any way.

Because he never intends to look back to me.

Thinking of this, I felt a little desolate in my heart. I smiled lightly, and he smiled too.

Then, I said: "However, I still have something to discuss with you."

"You said."

"I hope you can give up Yangzhou."

"...Is this a condition?"

"No, this is hope."

There was still a hint of joy in the corners of his eyes, but his expression became clearly serious. He thought for a while and said softly: "Why?"

I said: "Actually, what I hope more is that you can give up Jiangnan, give up those weapons, give up those powers, and give up all the ties you had as a prince."

"..."

I saw his eyes turn cold, I smiled bitterly, and said again: "But I know this is impossible because of the change of place. I have always seen the relationship between you and the emperor very clearly, so I asked you to give up."

Jiangnan is like asking the emperor to take your life."

Having said this, I smiled faintly: "Since I can't regret it, then of course I don't want to be a widow."

His eyes flickered, as if he was about to laugh, but he didn't dare to act rashly. He just looked at me like this.

"But -" I looked into his smiling eyes and said seriously: "If you have Yangzhou in hand, you are destined to have another battle with the emperor."

More likely, there will be more than one battle.

When we first heard about the rebellion in the six provinces of Jiangnan and the ambiguous attitude of Yangzhou Prefecture, we had already seen through this plan. The reason why he did not let Yangzhou openly break away from the rule of the imperial court was to let Yangzhou penetrate into the body of the Celestial Empire like a root.

Nail, if you advance, you can rely on Yangzhou to attack the Central Plains, and if you retreat, you can rely on the Yangtze River to defend the south.

Yangzhou exists for offense.

Listening to my words, he remained silent until this moment when he raised his head and looked at me, his eyes burning: "Qingying, who is this hope of yours for?"

For whom?

Seeing the uneasy light flashing in his eyes, I understood immediately.
To be continued...